Four ministers quit Lebanese cabinet

Four Lebanese ministers have quit the government in protest against a controversial constitutional amendment that keeps President Emile Lahud in office for another three years.

06 Sep 2004 21:09 GMT

Jumblat: We have nothing more to do with this government

Three ministers from the Progressive Socialist Party of Druze leader Walid Jumblat are to formally notify Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri of their decision on Tuesday, the PSP announced just hours after Environment Minister Faris

"Our ministers and Bouaiz were part of the people who refused the extension of Lahud's term," Jumblat told Aljazeera.net.

"They are following their political course. It is in the accordance with our position that we have taken in the parliament," he said.

"We have nothing more to do with this government."

Honour-bound

Bouaiz told reporters he had felt honour-bound to step down after he joined 28 other MPs, including Jumblat's PSP, in voting against the change on Friday.

"It is natural that I should tender my resignation from the government, given our differences over the constitutional amendment," Bouaiz said.

Despite a UN Security Council resolution passed the previous day backing Lebanon's sovereignty and implicitly censuring Damascus, Lebanese MPs voted to change the law to allow Lahud to remain in office beyond his original six-year term.